Related Experiment Videos
Porotic hyperostosis, anemias, malarias, and marshes in the prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean
Insights
Porotic hyperostosis, linked to anemias like thalassemia and sicklemia, is a skull condition prevalent in ancient farming communities. Its occurrence suggests a connection to malaria and environmental factors in early populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleopathology
- Human Evolution
- Ancient Medicine
Background:
- Porotic hyperostosis, previously known as osteoporosis symmetrica, manifests as an overgrowth of the skull's spongy marrow space.
- In pediatric cases, the condition can extend to affect other bones.
- It is recognized as a sequela of specific anemias, namely the thalassemias and sicklemia.
Observation:
- These anemias represent balanced polymorphisms, likely sustained by the selective pressure of falciparum malaria.
- The geographical spread of falciparum malaria correlates with the historical incidence of porotic hyperostosis in the Old World, but not the New World.
- In the absence of falciparum malaria in the New World, other forms of anemia, such as parasitic infections or nutritional deficiencies, are hypothesized as etiological agents for porotic hyperostosis.
Findings:
- In ancient Anatolia, Greece, and Cyprus (7th to 2nd millennia B.C.), porotic hyperostosis was common among early farmers in marshy regions, but rare in inhabitants of dry areas or Paleolithic hunters.
- Skeletal evidence from Greece indicates a decline in porotic hyperostosis frequency with advancements in farming techniques.
- Conversely, from the Hellenistic to Romantic periods, the disease's incidence rose, coinciding with increased malaria rates and deteriorating farming conditions.
Implications:
- The observed correlations between porotic hyperostosis, adult stature, and fertility suggest significant population-level health impacts.
- The findings suggest that the genetic mutations responsible for falciparum malaria predate the 7th millennium B.C.
- The Eastern Mediterranean is proposed as a potential origin for these malaria-related mutations.
Abstract:
Porotic hyperostosis, formerly called osteoporosis symmetrica, is an overgrowth of the spongy marrow space of the skull. In children, other bones may also be affected. The disease is a consequence of one of the thalassemias or sicklemia. These anemias are balanced polymorphisms which are apparently maintained by falciparum malaria. Falciparum malaria spread over the anopheline belts of the Old World in coincidence with porotic hyperostosis, but did not penetrate the New World. Here some other parasitism or deficiency anemia must have been the cause of porotic hyperostosis in ancient times. In Anatolia, Greece, and Cyprus from the seventh to second millennia B.C., porotic hyperostosis occurred frequently in early farmers who lived in marshy areas, but rarely in inhabitants of dry or rocky areas or in latest Paleolithic hunters. As shown by skeletal samples from Greece, the frequency of the disease decreased as farming methods improved. However, from Hellenistic to Romantic times it again increased together with increases in the incidence of malaria and in poorer farming. There are correlations between porotic hyperostosis and adult stature and fertility. The mutations producing falciparum malaria therefore must antedate seventh millenium B.C. and I think may have an Eastern Mediterranean origin.